


Princess and Paladin

by AkiraMokona



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:54:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27778693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkiraMokona/pseuds/AkiraMokona
Summary: Your work as an Exorcist isn't exactly glamorous. After all, most of your time is spent trudging through muck and wringing demon blood out of your clothes.So, when a certain high-ranking member of the Order claims that you're a princess, it's fair to say that you're a bit skeptical.Arthur Auguste Angel x Reader
Relationships: Arthur Auguste Angel/Reader, Arthur Auguste Angel/You
Kudos: 5





	1. Suitor

“Are you sure about this? I can call for some back-up. It would only take them a few hours to get there.”

You rolled your eyes, “We don't need to bring any more resources out here. I’ll be fine. I’m just going to look around and see if there’s actually a demon or two involved, same as every other mission.”

“Alright, if you insist,” a sigh followed, causing your earpiece to crackle, “Jeez, _____, you’ve got this entire thing on lockdown, don’t you?”

“I try,” you looked around, “I’ve been doing this for a long time, after all.”

“Ugh, now I feel old.”

“Sorry, Gwen,” you replied, though you didn’t really mean it. You brushed away some of the debris. The embers that remained shifted and glowed faintly in the darkness.

“Is this how you imagined we would spend our time as Exorcists?” she asked.

“You mean me digging around for signs of demons and you sitting miles away waiting for the next plague?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know,” you looked around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Granted, a burnt down estate in the middle of the woods couldn’t be considered ordinary, but there didn’t seem to be any sign of demons, “I never really had a plan for this.”

“Same here,” another sigh, another bout of crackling, “But I never thought that I’d end up on comms. The Vatican doesn’t have much use for Doctors unless there’s a catastrophe.”

You walked through what remained of the ground floor, looking for anything unnatural. Maybe there was a secret room where the homeowners practiced satanic rituals. Or maybe it really was a simple accident.

“What do you think you’re going to do with your next promotion?” Gwen asked.

“What?” you laughed a bit, “I don’t have anywhere else to go. There are only four Arc Knights at a time and the new Paladin has already been chosen.”

“You do realize that there’s more to the ranks than just the hierarchy, right? There are a bunch of subcategories. Besides, I hear that the Grigori are implementing a new system.”

“Oh?” you knelt down in what you guessed was the library, flipping through a few of the books that had survived the fire, “Do tell.”

“They’ve been considering the idea of having some Exorcists waiting in the wings, just in case something happens to an Arc Knight,” you couldn't see her grin, but you could hear it in her voice, “Being in comms lets me have access to all of the best information. Not bad, right?”

“So how are they going about it? Just picking names out of a hat?”

“The Grigori takes things a bit more seriously than that. Last I heard, they’re sending someone out to evaluate the candidates.”

“Probably some personal gopher,” you straightened, “I doubt they’d send out someone important.”

“Speaking of someone important...”

“Ah, yes, I almost forgot,” you stretched your arms above your head, feeling your spine crack, “What’s the latest on your darling Paladin?”

“I don’t know, that’s the problem. No one at the Vatican has seen him in a while. Usually he stops by to talk to the Grigori himself in between missions.”

“Maybe he’s just-“

“Good evening.”

You tensed. That hadn’t come from your earpiece. You silently cursed. Getting distracted was dangerous, especially when you were alone. Just because there was the chance that there were no demons around didn’t mean that they couldn’t find you, or that the fire wasn't set in order to lure Exorcists.

“Just a second,” you turned off your earpiece and turned around, nails digging into your palms. You were ready to fight, even if they had managed to sneak up behind you. However, the sight before you caused you to blink, brow furrowing. It definitely wasn’t a demon. He was wearing what looked like an Exorcist uniform, but it was white instead of black. You stared at him, “...What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you,” he moved closer, making a new set of footprints in the snow. He had been outside for a while, given the snowflakes in his hair, “You’re Miss _____, correct?”

“Yes,” this wasn’t off to a good start, consider his answer didn’t exactly explain his purpose.

The man bowed, a hand over his chest. It seemed like a polite movement, but you couldn’t help but see it as pointlessly extravagant. Or maybe he was trying to be condescending. When he straightened, you noticed the massive sheath hanging from the belt on his waist. If the scabbard was that big, you couldn’t imagine what the sword itself looked like.

He remained professional, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he had randomly appeared while you were in the middle of a mission, “I’m here under orders from the Grigori.”

“Oh,” Gwen’s information had some use, after all, “For the Arc Knight replacements?”

“That is correct.”

You brushed some of the snow from your shoulders, “That still doesn’t explain who you are.”

“That’s ridiculous,” he laughed, “Everyone in the Order knows who I am.”

You scowled. Was he being serious, or was he really that thick? Wait, now that you thought about it, there was something familiar about him. The blond hair, the sword… Your eyes widened, “You’re the new Paladin?”

“Yes,” he grinned.

You weren’t sure what to say. Gwen’s description of him was…flawed, to say the least. She claimed that he was a prince, but he looked more like a jerk in pretty packaging. Even if you didn’t know him that well, it didn’t seem like he would be able to shake your first impression of him easily.

“So, I’m being considered for Arc Knight, if one of them dies?”

“There were several names on the list that the Grigori gave me, but I decided to look into each candidate before choosing which ones I would evaluate,” he explained, “Though, when I saw your picture, I was surprised. I didn’t expect a princess to be hidden amongst the Upper First Class.”

Your brow twitched. You couldn’t get a read on him. The words themselves sounded like a joke, but the way he said it made you wonder if he was serious. You certainly weren’t a princess in the literal sense. Was this some sort of attempt at flirting with you, or was he using the wrong analogy?

“Right…” you walked past him. Your mission was finished, anyway. You hadn’t found any evidence that suggested the fire was due to demonic activity, so you were free to head off towards the next location, “So, how is this going to work? Are you just going to follow me around and see how I handle my missions?”

“Of course not,” he fell into step beside you, “We’ll be working together. Any missions requested will be responded to by the both of us.”

“If both of us have a mission, whose takes priority?” you asked, though you had the feeling that you knew the answer already.

“Mine,” he sighed, “The work of the Paladin never ends, it seems. There are other Exorcists that can cover for your missions.”

This wasn’t going to work. If the only way you could move up in the Order was through him, you were more than happy to stay where you were for the rest of your life. It was highly unlikely that you would end up as an Arc Knight, anyway.

You cleared your throat, “So, what happened to the others that you’ve seen? Were they not up to your standards?”

“I’ve only just started. You were my first choice.”

“Why?” you couldn’t help but ask. It was better than asking if he became the Paladin through some dumb luck or a heavy dose of nepotism.

“Like I said before,” he looked to you, smiling, “I’ve never met a princess among the ranks.”

You fought the urge to roll your eyes. If that was the sort of criteria he was looking for in an Arc Knight, the Order was doomed.


	2. Living Things

You found an empty spot on the train, thankful that the seats weren’t crowded like in the modern models. You were especially thankful that Arthur left to deal with some of his own business. You didn’t know what he meant, nor did you care. The sooner this evaluation was over, the better. The last thing you wanted to do was spend more time with the Paladin than necessary.

You sat down, turning your earpiece back on. It had been a while since you had spoken to Gwen, but she was used to small conversations here and there. You hadn’t gotten into much trouble in the years you had known her, so you knew that she wouldn’t be panicking.

“Oh, _____,” Gwen yawned, “How was the mission?”

“No sign of demonic activity,” you replied, “But I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your beloved Paladin.”

“What?!” her shriek almost caused you to remove your earpiece, “Are you serious?! The one and only Arthur Auguste Angel? You met a celebrity?!”

“I wish it was just a meeting,” you sighed, crossing one leg over the other, “He’s the one going over the Arc Knight candidates.”

“No way. So you get to go on missions with him? I would die for that opportunity.”

“Careful,” you teased, “That kind of talk is how demons get to you.”

“Alright, alright. Still, I want updates. What’s he really like?”

“Honestly?” you glanced to the compartment door. It didn’t sound like anyone was nearby, “He’s…”

“Amazing? Handsome? Totally a heartthrob?”

“Kind of a jerk. Sorry to burst your bubble,” you leaned back against the seat, “You should go. It’s getting late. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Well, I hope you have fun. Maybe you two got off on the wrong foot…?”

“We’ll see,” you turned your earpiece off, only to hear a faint rattling noise. You glanced down to your necklace, touching the small lantern that was fastened to it. A faint glow came out of the metal roof, the usual hiding place. A tiny orb of flame gently nudged against the glass, “You want out for a bit?”

The flame couldn’t speak, but another nudge was enough of an answer.

You glanced to the door again. It was late. Most of the other passengers were sleeping. It was unlikely that anyone would waltz through unannounced, “Alright,” you whispered, removing the lantern from your necklace, “Go on.”

The lantern opened and the fire burst out. The metal bent and shifted, growing larger and sprouting a long handle resembling a spear. It tipped, but a fiery hand caught it before it could topple to the floor. The flame had taken a vaguely human form, sitting down on the seat across from you. Despite it touching various fabrics, nothing caught fire. It knew how to suppress its powers enough to keep from burning the entire train to the ground. It mimicked your position, crossing one leg over the other. Now that it had resumed its true form, it was darker in colour, though the edges still flickered with red.

“Does that feel better, Ignis?” you smiled as he nodded and made a show of stretching out his arms and legs, “You can stay out for a bit, I don’t think anyone will-“

The door opened, revealing Arthur with a tray, “Ah, there you are, my-“ he stopped, turning to glare at the creature sitting with you, “There’s no need for you to be here, demon.”

You sighed. You should have known this would happen. There were some Exorcists that didn’t take kindly to Tamers. Being in close quarters with demons made others wary. They worried that Tamers would end up betraying the order, maybe even becoming possessed.

You turned to Arthur, “He’s not causing any problems by being here. He’s my Familiar. I’m looking after him,” you would have expected him to be a bit more understanding, given that he had to also be a Tamer in order to become Paladin.

“We’re not in the midst of a battle.”

“He’s staying,” you countered. You weren’t going to budge on this matter. The bond you had with your Familiar was due to trust and mutual benefits. You weren’t about to condemn him to a life of servitude after he had spent so many years protecting you.

“If you insist,” it sounded like surrender, but you knew better. He was annoyed by your choice. Given the opportunity, he would destroy Ignis himself. Even if he was the Paladin, you weren’t about to let him do whatever he wanted. Arthur across from you, setting the tray down beside him.

Ignis crossed his arms, his flames becoming just a bit brighter.

You frowned, recognizing his posture as that of irritation. You were tempted to ask what was bothering him, only for Arthur to hold a glass of wine in front of you. A brief glance toward him wasn’t enough to do your confusion justice.

He was holding his own glass, but was waiting for you to accept or decline yours before taking a sip. His gaze lingered on your Familiar for a moment before he turned to you, “Did you always plan on becoming a Tamer?”

You hesitated, unable to tell if he was trying to interrogate you or was simply curious. Maybe it was both. You took the glass, disregarding how your fingers brushed over his during the exchange. One glass would be enough to help you get through the mess you were currently in. Otherwise, you could retreat by getting some sleep. You took a sip of the wine. It was a pleasant surprise. With your salary, you doubted you could afford something with such a rich taste. Your tongue traced over your lips briefly before you answered, “Not really. When I first started my training, I thought that I would end up as a Dragoon.”

“And why is that?” he swirled his glass slowly, though he remained focused on you.

“I didn’t excel at anything else,” you replied, being intentionally vague. You didn’t need him to know how much time you spent trying to memorize Fatal Verses or how you couldn’t deflect a blow with a sword to save your life. You got better with time, but you would never expect to become Paladin with your repertoire. Now that you thought about it, it didn’t make sense for you to become an Arc Knight, even if you were a phenomenal Tamer. Still, you wouldn’t tell Arthur such a thing, “You know, if you have a problem with me being a Tamer, then you should just move on to the next candidate.”

“My orders were to go on missions with the candidates until I’ve had enough time to report back to the Grigori. I haven’t even seen you in a battle, much less a proper investigation into demonic activity.”

You glanced away, wondering if the Order was pranking you somehow. Arthur was so by the books that it hurt. It made you worry for your Familiar, considering that most things related to demons were to be destroyed upon discovery.

“Besides, I’ve longed for good company for quite a while.”

You nearly choked on your drink. His talent as Paladin was clearly at the cost of being dense and arrogant. It seemed like the only plausible explanation. He wouldn’t have been able to ascend the ranks so quickly, otherwise.

“So, how many missions do you think it would take to figure out if I’m Arc Knight material?” you asked, trying to seem eager to get started rather than begging for it to be over as soon as possible.

Arthur smirked a bit, “The Grigori didn’t have a specific number in mind. However many it takes, I suppose.”

You hid your scowl behind your wine glass. Of course there wasn’t a specified number. You could end up being stuck with him for months. Something in his voice gave you pause. Ah, you understood now. He was following orders, but he was more than happy to take advantage of any leeway he was given. He could spend as much time a candidate as he wanted until the Grigori told him to move on. Since you were pleasant company, though you still weren’t sure how you qualified, he was going to take some time with you.

You couldn’t wait to hear Gwen’s reaction when she found out that her beloved Paladin was an absolute sadist.


End file.
